Accounting for up to 20 percent of all forms of dementia, Lewy Body Dementia affects approximately 1.4 million Americans. Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) is the second most common cause of progressive dementia behind Alzheimer's disease. LBD is also the most misdiagnosed form of dementia because symptoms are closely related to Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy Body (referred to as DLB).
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, dementia, Care Partners, caregivers, Dementia Live, Alzheimer's disease, Hospital Professionals, Lewy Body Dementia, LBD
No longer is dementia a looming public health threat. It is a global crisis affecting healthcare systems, delivery of long-term care, worker shortages, community infrastructure, families and most importantly, the quality of life for persons living with dementia.
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, The Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, dementia, compassionate touch, Dementia Live, Hospital Professionals, Public health crisis, Community, families, long term care, understanding, health, Global Initiatives
"Touching as a therapeutic event is not as simple as a mechanical procedure or a drug, because is, above all, an act of communication...the use of touch and physical closeness may be the most important way to communicate to acutely ill (and aged) persons that they are important as human beings..." - Ashley Montagu
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, dementia care, Senior Care Professionals, Memory Care, compassionate touch, Hospital Professionals, Psychotropic drugs, Ground Breaking
I thought this intriguing blog post title would spark some interest, as I'm writing this while on a European trip that will be concluding in Amsterdam. Samen Dementievriendelijk is the Netherland's Dementia Delta Plan, which aims to create dementia-friendly communities by teaching people to recognize and help people living with dementia.
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, dementia, Dementia Live, Hospital Professionals, dementia friendly, Dutch, Samen Dementievriendelijk, Netherlands, Dementiadelta Plan
Faith-based hospital organizations recognize the impact of partnerships with their local faith-based communities. The important role of faith community nursing programs is to bridge the gap in helping congregational nurses to meet the needs of their faith communities.
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, dementia, Hospital Professionals, Faith Community, faith communities, Community, families, hospitals, older adults, Nurses, hospital
I recently attended a conference and listened to a geriatrician share that the average number of medications her patients are on when they come to her practice is a shocking 18 - 24. That's per DAY! No doubt we have a serious epidemic in this country - our seniors are drowning in drugs.
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, The Family Caregiver, healthcare, Senior Care Professionals, Elders, Hospital Professionals, Faith Community, elderly, Seniors, older adults, Polypharmacy, Drugs, patients
As a geriatric nurse, I rather frequently see the effects of age and disease on the body. Of course, different diseases manifest in different ways, and while some of those signs and symptoms may mirror those of old age, others may not. As a result, it is important that I, and other geriatric nurses like me, recognize how Parkinson’s disease might affect a patient under our care so that we can better care for them and meet their needs.
Topics: The Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, Hospital Professionals, Mental Health, Nurses, Parkinson's patients, patients, dopamine, substantia nigra, Parkinson's Diseases, Geriatric Nursing, Multiple Sclerosis, Hoehm-Yahr scale
When was the last time you walked into a restaurant hoping for a relaxing dinner only to feel like you were in the middle of a rock concert, and a bad one at that? You're not alone. Noise pollution is a real health hazard, especially for older adults. Yes, I'm in the AARP club myself, but don't consider myself "old" (and not sure when that starts) but I've noticed how noise has affected me as I've aged.
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, Elders, dementia, Dementia Live, leadership, Hospital Professionals, Seniors, older adults, noise pollution, health, elder care communities, home care
Dear, Honey, Hun, Sweetie, Buddy, Chief, That’s a good boy, Let's go potty now. No, I am not talking to my 18-month-old, I am repeating terms of endearment and phrases I hear in memory care and assisted living every day. There is so much research behind the use of this type of language researchers refer to it as elderspeak. I know I am guilty of using terms like these and I know you are too but explore the impact it may be having on our residents.
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, dementia care, The Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, Senior Care, dementia, Caregiver, compassionate touch, Dementia Live, leadership, Hospital Professionals, eldercare
Challenging behavior is a catch-all term that, in the context of dementia, includes one or combinations of things like shouting, wandering, biting, throwing things, repetitive talking repetitive movements, destroying personal possessions and other objects without regard for whom it belongs, agitation and general anger, physical or verbal attacks on others, waking others at night, making sexually inappropriate comments, disrobing inappropriately, and urinating or defecating in undesirable locations. This is not an all-inclusive list and I am sure you can think of many more examples that fit under the umbrella term of challenging behavior.
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, The Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, dementia, compassionate touch, Dementia Live, Hospital Professionals, behaviors, Person centered care, Behavioral Expression, staff, Challenging Behaviors
